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Tabb High School CyberPatriot Team Attends CNU Cybersecurity Symposium

The CyberPatriot team from Tabb High School's (THS) NJROTC unit attended the Symposium on Homeland Security & Defense at Christopher Newport University in February. The team had the privilege of listening to several keynote addresses dealing with cybersecurity given by an array of guest speakers including Samuel A. Nixon Jr., CIO of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Rear Admiral James B. Plehal (Ret.), former Commander of Naval Security Group Command, and Joseph M. Demanest, Jr., Assistant Director, Cyber Division, FBI.

"The cadets were able to see firsthand just how critical cyber security is to our nation. Attending the symposium has been a great motivational experience for them," said CDR Gray Wooten, Tabb's Senior Naval Science Instructor.

CyberPatriot, created by the Air Force Association, provides hands-on training in the field of cybersecurity. The program teaches defensive means of decreasing system vulnerability caused by computer hacking or harmful coding. The program stresses cyber ethics and the understanding of concepts such as intellectual property and proprietary rights.

The Tabb High School CyberPatriot team was formed in October 2013 and consists of 10 Navy JROTC cadets. The team uses four customized computers provided by the school division and grants from the Armed Forces Electronics and Communications Association (AFCEA). The team is now in preparation for the state competition later this month.